espina



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-8heet 2.

G. ESPINA. S

( MARINE VESSEL. No. 591,749. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

WITNESSES INVENTQH A TTOHNEYS.

G. ESPINA. MARINE VESSEL.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

No. 591,749. I Patented Oct. 12,- 1897.

A TTOHNE Y8 Q INVENTOH WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GIL ESPINA, OF oAREcAs, VENEZUELA.

MARINE VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 591,749, dated October 12, 1897.

Application filed April 15, 1897.

Serial No. 632,231. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom, it 72m concern.-

Be it known that I, GIL ESPINA, a citizen of the Republic of Venezuela, and a resident of Caracas, Venezuela, have invented new and useful Improvements in Marine Vessels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to marine vessels, and has for its object to provide an improved propelling mechanism for ships.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter, and the features of novelty pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved vessel. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional plans thereof taken, respectively, on the lines 2 2' and 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a central transverse section of the ship on line 4. 4. of Fig. 1, and Figs. 5 and 6 are broken side elevations showing the propelling mechanism in two different positions.

The vessel is provided with a hull A and a keel 13, arranged to swing about a longitudinal horizontal axis, so that when the vessel rolls from one side to the other the keel will swing about its axis. This swinging movement I utilize for propelling the vessel or assisting in the propulsion thereof. This I accomplish by providing the swinging keel B with an upward extension B, having a sliding engagement with two pins 0 on a walking-beam O, pivoted at C to swing in a transverse vertical plane. The ends of the walking-beam are connected by rods D to the paddle-frames E and E, respectively, located in advance and in the rear of the walking-beam and mounted to swing in longitudinal vertical planes. These frames carry pivoted paddles F, adapted to abut against stops E secured to the paddle-frames to limit the forward swinging movement of the paddles relatively to the frame. It will be understood that the paddles are active only during the rearward-swinging movement of the paddle-frames, as is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Since one end of the walking-beam means for raising the keel laterally and holding it in an approximately horizontal position, said means consisting of ropes H, extending from the deck along the sides of the hull and attached to the keel B, as shown.

When it is desired to thus raise the keel, the

extension B is lifted out of engagement with the keel.

The arrangement of masts and sails is as follows: I construct the masts in pairs, one mast I of each pair being on the port side and the mating mast I at the corresponding point on the starboard side.' The two mastsare connected by a transverse beam J, which forms a support for the topmast K, arranged centrally and common to both masts I and I. The beam J of the foremast also forms a support for the yard L of a square sail M, which is in a central position, so as to catch the wind that passes between the two masts of each pair. The topmasts K carry topsails K, having the ordinary booms K and the masts I and I carry the outwardly-extending sails N, having booms N. The vessel may also have a series of jibs O at the bow. The hereinbefore-described arrangement of masts and sails permits of a very thorough utilization of the wind, and the masts, being well braced transversely, are exceptionally strong.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the hull having a longitudinal central hinge at its bottom, the keel whose upper edge is secured to said hinge to swing laterally when the vessel rolls, and propelling mechanism operated by the swing ing of the keel, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the hull, the keel mounted to swing laterally and adapted to be actuated by the rolling of the vessel, the Walking-beam extending transversely of the vessel to yield in one direction, substantially as described.

4. Apropellinginechanism forvessels,c0mprising two swinging paddle-frames located one in advance of the other at the sides of the vessel and so connected that their adjacent ends will move up and down in unison, and transverse paddles pivoted to said frames and adapted to abut against stops thereon, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the swinging paddleframes, located one in advance of the other at the sides of the vessel, the transverselyswinging walking-beam arranged between the swinging frames and connected to the adjacent ends thereof, and the transverse paddles pivoted to the said frames substantially as described.

GIL ESPINA.

Witnesses:

JOHN LOTTA, F. W. HANAFORD. 

